Danger-signal for bridges



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. 0. GODDING.

DANGER SIGNAL FOR BRIDGES.

No. 384,755. Patented June 19, 1888.

w/r/vss 5;

ATTORNEY (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. O. GODDING.

DANGER SIGNAL FOR BRIDGES.

No. 884,755. Patented June 19, 1888.

l/VVE/VTOI? ATTORNEY- WITNESSES.-

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILON O. GODDING, OF MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA.

OANGER SIGNAL FOR BRIDGES.

SFECIFICATIOIT forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,755, dated June19, 1888.

Application filed March 3, 1883.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MiLoN 0. Generate, of Monrovia, in the county of LosAngeles and State of California, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Danger- Signals for Bridges, \Vashouts, 830., of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a reliable dangersigual fornotifying a moving railroad-train of the burning of a bridge or thedestruction of the road-bed by a washout or snow-slide, so that thetrain may stop in time to a oid the disastrous consequences of passingat full speed upon the broken track.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangementoftripping devices combined with a falling signal, and also in the meansfor exploding a cartridge, so as to per mit the signal to be made knownin the night time.

Figu l a perspective view of my invention ap,. ed to a rallroadtracl;and bridge. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the signaling devices, partly insection, the view being taken crosswise the railroad-track. Fig. 3 isaplan view of one of the posts, and Fig. it is a side view of a portionof the tripping device.

In the drawings, A represents a section of railroad-track.

B is a bridge, and C is a light combustible cord, of some such materialiarred rope, blasting-fuse, or other material that does not readily rotout and yet is easily ignited and quickly consumed. This cord extendsacross the bridge, and its severance by fire or by a washout orsnow-slide is made to set in action a tripping device, which operatesthe signal. This tripping device consists of a bar, D, having a groove,a, in it, and a lever-support, D, carrying at its top, within guides I),a lever, D the lever D being mounted upon support D by means of afulcrum, b", and having aslight vertical play in the guides b. On theopposite side of the fulcrum a from the weight (I this lever has aforked trigger-extension, c, that runs down into the groove a, and saidlever at one end has attached to it a weight, 0., while the other endconnects with the combustible cord O, which passes around a pulley, 6,Fig. and, extending across the bridge or other place to be guarded, isfastened securely to some Serial No. 265,9Gl. (N0 model.)

stationary point, so as to hold the cord under a tension and hold theweight on the lever up and the forked extension 0 down. In thegroove aof bar D is arranged longitudinally a sliding hook, f, whose hooked endis caught beneath one of the branches of the forked extension 0, andwhich hook is connected to a wire, 9, that extends along the road-bedfor. about a mile, or far enough to give the train time to stop afterreceiving the signal and before reaching the bridge. This wire g, forits better protec-' tion, may extend through a pipe or tube, or it maybe carried on poles overhead. At the end where the signal is to bedisplayed it connects with the signaling devices, which are constructedas follows:

E E are two upright posts, placed firmly in the ground upon oppositesides of the track. These posts have vertical grooves in them, whichopen laterally along the inner sides of the posts in the form of slotsh. In these grooves there slide two weights, F E, which are connectedtogether by a wire, i, extending from one to the other through theslots, and this wire bears in the middle, just above the railroad-track,a red-flag, 'r, or other signal. These weights are held up by means oftheir arms i, which rest on top of arms j, connected to a rock-shaft, G,journaled horizontally in bearings across the tops of the two posts.This shaft G has at one end a rigid lever, G, whose long end carries aweight, G and whose short end is attached to the wire g, which extendsto the bridge, and the tension of which wire holds the weighted end ofthe lever G up, and holds up the arms of the rock-shaft un derneath thearms '5 of the weight. Now,when the bridge is burned, or the cord of thetripping device is ruptured by a washout or snowslide, the weight onlever D at the bridge tilts the lever,and, raising the forked extension(1, allows the hookf, attached to wire 9, to be released, and as theline of wire is thereby slackened, the weight on the lever G turns therock-shaft G and by dropping the armsj allows the weights F F to fall inthe grooves of the posts, carrying the attached signal-flag to aposition low down on the track and directlyin. front of thelocoinotivaasshown by dotted lines, Fig. 2, thus giving the de sired signal to theengineer. At all other times the signal-flag is maintained at an elevated position far enough above the train to allow the latter to passunder it.

To raise the weights F F so as to set the signal again, I provide aWindlass, H, on top of the posts E E, with cords k k, having hooks attheir lower ends for engagement with the arms 13 of the weight when itisdesired to raise them to reset the signal.

Ordinarily in day-time the signal-flag gives suflicient warning ofdanger; but for use at night, when it may be difficult to see the flag,I provide an additional'signal in the nature of an explosive cartridge,which gives a loud and distinct warning.

At one side of one of the posts I fix a case, I, Fig. 2, in which is apereussionhammcr, J, which may act either from a spring, as shown, or byits own gravity. This hammer is arranged to be released by the pullcaused by the locomotive against the flag-wire t, and when releaseddrops upon a dynamite oartridge contained in a seat, Z, below thehammer. The hammer is provided with a notch or shoulder, m, on its side,to receive the locking end of a spring-rod, a, in the groove of post E,which rod holds the hammer up.

In fastening the signal-flag wire to its weight it is not directlyattached to the weight, but is fastened toaspring-bolt, 0, which hasahook on its outer end, and when the signal is down this hook engageswith the top of spring-rod a, so that when the locomotive strikes thesignal-wire it pulls back the spring-bolt o and catch-rod a, and thehammer is allowed to fall and explode the cartridge. To raise the hammeragain, in casea heavy oneorstrongspring be used, a cord may be attachedto it and wound u 11 Jon a ulle 9 on the windlass above.

M N, Fig. 1, are electric contacts, whichare arranged to be broughttogether by descent of lever G to complete a circuit to the stations oneach side to notify the station-agents that an accident has occurred tothe road-bed.

A set of signal-posts is to be arranged on both sides of the bridge, andin order to con meet with both the tripping device is made with a doublebrauched forked extension, 0, with one branch arranged to co-operatewith a hook,f, and tension-wire extending in one direction, and'theother branch cooperating with a hook,f, and tension-wire with signaldevices extending in the opposite direction, which latter it is notnecessary to show, as they are duplicates of those already illustrated.As a very slight vertical movement of the extension 0 is sufficient torelease the hooksff, the lever D has but very little play in the guidesb.

P is a lever by which the spring-rod n is forced out when setting thepercussion-hammer, and R is a door for closing up the opening in thelower part of the post to prevent access thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. Thecombination, with a cord, 0, adapted to be distended along therailroad-track, of the bar D, having groove (1, weighted lever D",distending the cord, the trigger-extension c, and a hooked line-wireextending to a distance and provided with signaling devices,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The eombinatiomwith a combustible cord arranged upon a bridge, ofsignaling devices connected to and operated at a distance from thebridge by the burning of said cord.

3. The combination of the tripping devices, the tension-wire g, and thesignaling devices, consisting of a rockshaft with a lever connected tothe wire and two arms, vertical posts having sliding weights arranged ingrooves in the posts and supported by the arms of the rock-shaft, and across-connection for the two weights bearing a signal, substantially asand for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the percussion- M. o. eonnnvc.

Witnesses:

Enwn. W. BYRN, CHAS. A. PETTIT.

